Low molecular weight polysilanes having at least one terminating silicon atom bearing three hydrogens are of great interest in the fabrication of electronic devices. The simplest compounds of this class, perhydridopolysilanes, have been known for over a century, having first been disclosed by Alfred Stock. General synthetic methods include hydrolytic decomposition of metal silicides, e.g. magnesium silicide; Wurtz coupling of mixed hydridohalosilanes, e.g. iodosilane; pyrolytic coupling of lower polysilanes, e.g. disilane; reduction of chlorinated polysilanes and polysilane complexes; and dephenylation of perphenylpolysilanes.
Those familiar with the art readily appreciate the difficulty in preparing polysilanes with more than three silicon atoms. For example, synthetic methods generally proceed in relatively low yield and require purification of a pyrophoric mixture of liquid and gaseous products and byproducts. It would be desirable to be able to prepare trihydridosilyl-terminated polysilanes in good yield with minimal handling of pyrophoric intermediates and byproducts.